Muskegon Heights: Muskegon's Black Experience-- Part 1: "Hot Beds"

From the Muskegon, Michigan site by Dr. James Jackson, Director of the Museum of African-American History in Muskegon, Michigan.

During World War II, Muskegon became a major material supplier of the war effort. Large numbers of black workers from the South were hired and brought to the city to provide cheap labor.

Temporary housing was constructed. When the war ended, these blacks were in effect stranded. Muskegon did not welcome them.

Federal law forced recruitment in the South. Sleeping for these workers often consisted of a bed rented for eight hours according to one's shifts (shifts at local plants were 24-hours-a-day with three shifts). Such housing was referred to as a "Hot Bed." Many of these were located on Pine Street. Some workers even slept in public parks.

More to Come. --GreGen

1000th Post!!

This marks the 1000th post on this blog, which began January 1, 2012. It grew out of my Cooter's History Thing blog when it became apparent I was posting more and more about World War II. I decided to just go with a site entirely devoted to it.

The GreGen signoff I use on each post is short for GREatest GENeration. Of course, we are now in the 70th anniversary of the war and those who fought and survived are rapidly dying off now, all of them in their upper 80s and 90s.

The title "Tattooed On Your Soul" comes from Frank Curre, who was at Pearl Harbor and died Dec. 7th, 2011, 70 years later. It is a good quote pretty much summing up their experieneces.

I have definitely learned a lot about the war.

--GreGen

Muskegon World War I Plants and Housing

Not only was Muskegon the "Arsenal of Democracy" in World War II, but it also played a role in World War I in which the city's main war production plants were Continental Motor, Lingerman Steel & Machinery Co. and Brunswick, Balke, Collander Co., //// They all did war work. ///// In addition, there were two major 1919 Housing Projects: the 248 detached units of the Schoenberg Tract and 30 detached units at the McGraft Tract (on the McGraft farm). //// I doubt that any of these two tracts were the ones was the Kissell home (Feb. 14th post). The Kissell home was detached and moved to Casnovia, Michigan, at some point after World War II. //// My Next Post on This Blog Will Be #1000!! --GreGen

Muskegon's USS Silversides Submarine Museum

The USS Silversides (SS-236) was built at Mare Navy Yard in Vallejo, California, and commissioned December 15, 1941. The Silversides is credited with sinking the third most ships of any Allied submarine during the war, with 23. Only the USS Tang and USS Taulog sank more. //// After the war, it was stationed at Chicago and used by the US Naval Reserve until 1969 and then went to Muskegon in 1987. Today it is a submarine museum. //// Right now, it has a new USS Flier submarine exhibit, a submarine that was sunk in the war. //// --GreGen

Dekalb, Illinois World War II Naval Activities

While on the subject of the last post, I looked up the naval activities in DeKalb, Illinois, for the war. I went to college there (Northern Illinois University). DeKalb had Naval Cost Inspectors at Interstate Aircraft and Engineering Corporation and the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company (makers of pianos and organs).

There was also a Bureau of Aeronautics representative at Interstate Aircraft and Engineering.

The Navy All the Way Inland at DeKalb.  Something You Wouldn't Think.  --GreGen

Muskegon in World War II: Naval Activities

In 1941, the Continental Aviation and Engineering Corporation built a new plant in Muskegon. /

From U.S. Naval Activities WW II by State.

MUSKEGON NAVAL CONTRACTS: Brunswick-Balke-Collande Co., Campbell- Wynant Cannon Foundry Co., Continental Motors Corporation, Kaydon Engineering, Muskegon Meter Specialties Co., Sealed Power Corporation, West Michigan Steel Foundry, and Anaconda Wire and Cable Company.

In addition, Muskegon had a Resident Inspector of Naval Material and a Resident Representative of the Bureau of Aeronautics.

--GreGen

World War II "M' Flags But Did Find "Minuteman" Flags

I was unable to find any further information on "M' (for manufacturing) flags that I metioned in the last post. I did come across "Minuteman" flags which were given to World War II businesses and people for meeting their goals in the purchase of war bonds. //// --GreGen

Muskegon, the "Arsenal of Democracy"-- Part 2

Later Continental had to construct a new aircraft engine plant building to make Rolls-Royce Merlin liquid-cooled engines for the British Spitfire fighters, the planes that saved Britain. //// THE MAGNOLIA CONNECTION //// Recruiters from city factories roamed far and wide across the United States to find workers. They especially went to Kentucky and Tennessee to find poor Southern whites and blacks and sent them by train to Muskegon. Also, a lot of blacks came from Magnolia, Arkansas, and High Point, North Carolina. As a result, Muskegon's minority population increased seven times higher during the war. //// Muskegon was also the first U.S. city to be honored with the "M" flag (for manufacturing) in 1944. The city also a had a ship named after it, the USS Muskegon, a patrol frigate in the Atlantic Ocean. //// Lots of War Effort. --GreGen

Muskegon, the "Arsenal of Democarcy"-- Part 1

From the Dec. 6, 2009, M Live, Muskegon Chronicle "Muskegon was the 'Arsenal of Democracy' during World War II" by David Kello. //// The Continental Motor Co., at its wartime peak, employed 9,000 workers in 1944, manufacturing automobile, tank and aircraft engines for the U.S. and British military. Muskegon was a major industrial city in Michigan even before the war, but really ramped up as war approached. //// Continental Motors (later Teledyne and now L3 Communications) workers had already tripled in force to 3,250 some six months before Pearl Harbor. //// Other factories in Muskegon involved in the war effort were Sealed Power, Norge, Muskegon Piston Ring and CWC. Kaydon started in 1941 and made bearings. Continental received a $11.4 million contract for auto engines from the government. Later, the British ordered 6,000 tank engines. //// More to Come. --GreGen

Sgt. Walter Ehlers, Medal of Honor Recipient Dies

From NBC News. //// WALTER EHLERS, 92. //// The last-living Medal of Honor Recipient who stormed Omaha Beach on D-Day (although his Medal of Honor came three days later). //// He earned it "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty" on June 9th and 10th, 1944. . //// He was wounded three separate times in Goville, France, and still had a German bullet in his leg when he died last week. He took out several German gun crews and drew a tremendous amount of enemy fire on himself to save his unit. A month after D-Day, he learned that he had run past the body of his older brother on the beach that day. //// Mr. Ehlers was one of only 75 living Medal of Honnor winners still alive.

To Make a Long Story Short

Back on the 14th, I wrote about the newly-found love letters from a couple living in Muskegon during the war. I started doing more research and that ended up taking a good three hours, which explains a difficulty with all my blogs. //// I start off with an article and as I dig deeper, it gets more and mopre interesting. As I already said, I had heard of Muskegon, Michigan, but had no idea about even where it was located, much less its role in World War II. //// What I found was a city whose experiences were much like those of Wilmington, NC, and almost on as big a stage as that southern town, other than fewer, if any, military bases and the shipbuilding, but from what I found out, it could easily be America's second World War II City in the future. //// --GreGen

Muskegon, Michigan

I had to look the town up as I was unfamiliar with it. It is a city of 38,400 and the largest city in Michigan on the Lake Michigan shore. //// It is the home of the USS Silversides Submarine Museum. Also located there are the LST-393 and the USCG Cutter McLane and the SS Milwaukee Clipper, a famous car ferry. //// The USS Silversides is hosting a World War II Lecture Series from Jan. 6th to April 2014 from 6-8 PM every Monday. //// Some interesting lectures are MARCH 3: "Muskegon-- The Arsenal of Democracy; MARCH 10th: "The Air War Over the Pacific and Muskegon's Ike Kepford; and APRIL 21st: "The USS Flier. //// I'd Sure Like to Attend These. --GreGen

Japanese Destroyer Shigure-- Part 3

From the Pacific Wrecks Site. //// Some information on the ship's operations. ///// APRIL 16, 1943-- Departed Truk with the Hibiki escorting the Chuyo and escort carrier Taiyo. (I did not know the Japanese had escort carriers.) //// JUNE 2-4TH-- Departs on troop escort run to Biak, but the run had to be aborted when it was detected by American aircraft. Diverted to Sorong. //// JUNE 8, 1944-- Attempted troop transport run to Biak. Rescued 110 survivors from the destroyer Harusame. // Later engaged American cruiser-destroyer group. Received minor damage from two shell hits with 7 dead and 15 wounded. Withdrew to Sorong. //// The site says they will have more on the Shigure, but says it was sunk March 10, 1945, but most sources I have found agree it was sunk January 24, 1945. //// --GreGen

Japanese Destroyer Shigure-- Part 2

The Shigure mad eight of the extremely dangerous Tokyo Express Runs to Guadalcanal. At the Battle of Vella Gulf, it was the only one of four Japanese destroyers to escape. At the October 6-7, 1943, Battle of Vella LaVella, it heavily damaged the USS Selfridge (DD-357) //// In February 1944, it suffered heavy damage from American planes. //// On January 25, 1945, while escorting a convoy from Hong Kong to Singapore, it was torpedoed by the submarine USS Blackfin and sank slowly. Thirty-seven died and 270 escaped. //// --GreGen

Japanese Destroyer Shigure-- Part 1

From Wikipedia. //// This was the destroyer sunk by Walter Taverna's submarine USS Blackfin, which I have been writing about. //// The Shigure was a Shiratsuyu-class destroyer in Japan's Imperial Navy. It had the ruputation of being a "lucky" or "unsinkable" ship along with the destroyer Yukikaze. They received the name because both had had been the sole surviving ship in numerous engagements. //// It was commissioned 7 September 1936 and was at the Battles of Midway, First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Vella Gulf, Horaniu, Vella LaVelle, Empress Augusta Bay, Philippine Sea, Leyte Gulf and Surigano Gulf. //// --GreGen

Submarine USS Blackfin (SS-322)

From Wikipedia. //// Back on Feb. 5th, I wrote about submariner Walter Taverna recounting his World War Ii experiences aboard the USS Blackfin. //// The Blackfin was a Balao-class submarine launched 12 March 1944 by the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut. Commessioned 4 July 1944 and decommissioned in 1948. //// Recommissioned in 1951 and decommissioned in 1972 and sunk as a target vessel off San Diego in 1973. //// It went on five war patrols. On Jan. 24, 1945, it sank the Japanese destroyer Shigure and a tanker. On its fifth patrol, it destroyed 61 floating mines. //// When recommissioned in 1951, it became a GUPPY submarine (Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program) to improve sub submerged speed, maneuverability and endurance. //// It was used in two movies: 1963's "Move Over darling" and 1968's "Ice Station Zebra." //// It was sunk 13 May 1973 by a torpedo. //// --GreGen

Deaths: Arthur J. Hubbard, Sr.--Code Talker Instructor

ARTHUR J. HUBBARD, SR. (1912-February 7, 2014) American state senator from Arizona and Navajoh Code Talker Trainer. //// Served in the USMC from 1939-1945 and trained over 200 Code Talkers. //// In 1972, he became the first Native-American senator to serve in Arizona. ////

Deaths: Werner Husemann (Luftwaffe Ace)-- Roderick Bain (Band of Brothers)

From Wikipedia. //// WERNER HUSEMANN (1919-Feb. 2, 2014) German Luftwaffe ace and received the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross, one of Germany's highest awards, for shooting down 34 Allied planes. He was part of the 1st Night Fighter Wing and recorded his first victory the night of 17/18 August 1942. By the end of 1943, he had 17 kills. //// On the night of 25/26 June 1943, he shot down three British Avro Lancaster bombers. Altogether, he flew 250 combat missions. //// RODERICK BAIN (1922-Feb. 5, 2014) //// NCO of Second Platoon of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of 101st Airborne Division. Otherwise known as "The Band of Brothers" from the TV miniseries. //// He was one of the original 140 Toccoa men of Easy Company. //// In 2009, he wrote the book "We Who Are Alive and Remain: Untold Stories from Band of Brothers." ////

How Did the Home Get From Muskegon to Casnovia?

That got me interested in the story. I have done a lot of research on Wilmington, North Carolina, and its wartime experience with the thousands of workers who came ans where they were housed. Perhaps there was a big war industry in Muskegon and this could be classified wartime housing? I had to delve further into it. //// Perhaps Edward Kissel served in the military and these letters were written to Virginia from overseas. She might have worked at a war industry (perhaps a Rosie the Riveter?) I Yahooed Muskegon and found a not-complete list of servicemen from Muskegon County at the Genealogical Society. It didn't have Edward Kissel on the list (but again, they even admitted it wasn't complete). Maybe they both worked at a war-time industry? //// I'll See What I Can Find About Muskegon During the War and Maybe Something About the House That Moved. --GreGen

Long-Lost Love Letters Discovered in Michigan

From the Jan. 30, 2014, Yahoo! News/ABC News "Strangers Discover Long-Lost Love Letters in Attic, But Story Doesn't End There" by Eliza Murphy. //// Joshua McKinney, of Casnovia, Michigan, was removing old insulation in his attic Jan. 25 and found a stack of old love letters from World War II. They were wrapped in a pink ribbon and included a 1942 birth certificate for William Kissel and a marriage certificate from 1941 for Edward and Virginia Kissel. //// He alerted his local news station and media and within four hours Christina Frein, the grand-daughter of Edward and daughter of William, from Muskegon, an hour away, knew about it. //// That was the same weekend that her uncle, William's brother, had died and she said it was "like my dad was trying to talk to me." Her grandfather Edward died before she was born. //// No one from the family has ever lived in Casnovia, but the house had been in Muskegon in the 1940s and was part of a community. After the war, the house was separated from the others and relocated to Casnovia. //// An Interesting Story, But Wait, There's More. --GreGen